The invention is directed to a lid or cover that can be used on a container. More particularly, the lid has built-in safety features to prevent the lid from tipping or being easily removed from the container. The lid is particularly useful in applications where someone may possibly be standing on the lid such as in a sump well.
Sump wells have been in use in this country for many years to collect ground water so that the ground water may be discharged into a storm sewer. In many communities there is now a provision in the building codes that require houses to have a sump well located in the basement or crawl space to collect excess ground water. This provision has been put into the building codes to ensure that the ground water is directed to a storm sewer and does not end up in the sanitary sewer system. In many communities where the sanitary and storm sewer systems are combined, it is impossible for the sewage treatment facilities to keep up with the quantity of water that is processed through the sewage treatment plant after a heavy rainfall. This is because all of the ground water from the rainfall is also directed through the sewage treatment plant. This results in an overflow condition where a great quantity of the water cannot be processed and a great deal of unprocessed sewage is discharged from the sewage treatment plant. This is a health and environmental problem that communities are trying to avoid. By requiring a sump well, communities have been able to ensure that the ground water, in at least newer construction, is not funneled into the sanitary sewer system.
A sump well is a container that is positioned in the floor of the basement. the sump well has a collection cavity where the ground water or rain water can be collected and then discharged from the sump well into the storm sewer. Frequently, a sump pump is positioned in the sump well to pump the water from the sump well into the storm sewer system. The top of the sump well is usually positioned at about the same level as the floor in the basement of the building. As a safety precaution to keep people from failing into the sump well and also to keep extraneous material from entering the sump well, a cover is placed over the open end of the sump well. Normally, the cover just rests on a shoulder or retaining device that is positioned in the sump well. However, there is a possibility of injuries resulting from this type of cover as it is possible for this cover to tip when an unbalanced load is positioned on the cover. Accordingly, if someone ends up standing on one side of the cover, it is possible for the whole cover or lid to tip resulting in the person falling into the sump well or onto the basement floor. Obviously, it is desirable to avoid such dangerous situations. There have also been occasions when children have been able to cause the lid or cover of the sump well to tip and the child has fallen into the sump well. If there is a sufficient quantity of water in the sump well, it is even possible for a child to drown as a result of such an accident. Accordingly, it is certainly desirable to have a cover or lid for a sump well that essentially eliminates the tipping problem.
It is also desirable to have a lid or cover for the sump well that is not easily removed or accidentially displaced by children that may be playing in the area of the sump well. If the lid has been displaced from the sump well, it is again easy for someone to step into the sump well and fall. Thus, it is desirable to have a lid or cover for the sump well that cannot be easily removed or displaced by unauthorized persons or children.
Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved safety lid or cover.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a lid or cover that reduces or eliminates tipping of the lid.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a lid or cover that cannot easily be removed or displaced by unauthorized persons.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood by referring to the attached drawings in connection with the following description.